Visit from Dad

My dad came to visit me this past weekend. He arrived on Thursday and I checked him into the hostel...which was fun. He came in after 10 p.m., so we didn't have time to do much except buy some groceries and go to bed.

Then on Friday, he met me after work at the sushi restaurant. I had been looking forward to this opportunity because I would be able to try a platter of "weird" food from the nigiri section (raw fish on top of rice) and get the employee discount. Unfortunately, I don't have photos I can share, but we had dinner from the nigiri part of the menu (fish on top of rice):

1) sea urchin (uni)
2) octopus
3) sea eel
4) shrimp boat (shrimp with a raw quail egg on top)
5) salmon roe (ikura)
6) smelt roe (masago)

Nigiri sushi generally looks like this:

My favorite fish was the seawater eel. In the photo above, it looked like the second one from right. I'm sure the sweet sauce that came with it helped the flavor. The shrimp boat was the close second on my list. I highly recommend these two the next time you try sushi. The salmon roe (salmon eggs) felt like I was eating a tiny version of gel-filled bubble wrap, because the little balls pop in your mouth. Lastly, I liked the sea urchin the least. It tasted a like fish that had been at the market too long...mixed with some other unpleasant scents.

Later that evening, we hung around the hostel and chatted with the other guests. This tends to be a social activity in and of itself, because so many interesting people come in. There are times when I never get anything done, because I spend all my time talking and listening to stories.

We ate breakfast Saturday morning at The Beeline Cafe on 4th Avenue, where we ordered bagels and lox (bagel, salmon, cream cheese, onions, tomato, and capers). It was the first time I tried this -- delicious!

One aspect of the visit that my dad and I were both looking forward to was taking me around to the outskirts of Tucson. Because I don't have a car, my mobility is very limited. Guests at the hostel will ask me if I've been here or there and I usually respond that I haven't. I've been about as far as the bus, the daylight, and necessity allow me.

Therefore, the Desert Museum was first on our list, because people rave about it and you can't get there by bus or bike (unless you're a serious athlete). It's an outdoor museum where you walk around and look at desert plants and wildlife (they were very enthusiastic about their javelinas). Some people love this place, but it was so-so to me. I'd rather be out in the desert itself, instead of a museum. I was glad I experienced it, though, and I did learn a few interesting facts: in places like Wisconsin, earthworms move/circulate the soil; in the desert, it's the ants. Also, in wetter climates, fungi break down the plants and dead things, while termites do this in the desert. I never knew the real purpose of these insects!

Our other adventure for the weekend was a hike in Sabino Canyon. We were feeling adventurous after the museum, so we took the 4.1 mile hike to the Seven Falls. Four miles turned out to be longer than I imagined...and it wasn't encouraging to meet the people who turned around or who came back and said, "It's a looooonnng way there! Take pictures!" It took us two hours to arrive at the falls, but we made it. The landscape was beautiful, especially in the setting sun.

We finished off the night at El Charro's Restaurant. My dad ordered chicken flautas and I had fish tacos...which were AMAZING: corn tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, and (some kind of) white fish. I highly recommend this.

My dad left early Sunday morning, so dinner at El Charro's was the last thing we had time to do together. Really, we both thought the visit was too short. I'm hoping the next time he comes, it will be longer and we can explore more of Tucson together.